N00830:122
The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus…
The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Opened & applied, in several sermons. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel, at Boston, in N.E. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]The blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Opened & applied, in several sermons. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel, at Boston, in N.E. ; [Nine lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by Timothy Green for Nicholas Boone, 1701
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Blessed HOPE, And Glorious Appearing of JESUS CHRIST. › Sermon 4
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Jesus Christ is vested with a Glorious Office, that so He might be our Saviour. There is a Salvation-Office that does belong unto him. And in respect of that, he is said to be not only Jesus, but Christ: Mat. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God. And he is said to be the Messiah: Joh. 1.41 We have found the Messiah, which is by Interpretation Christ. Messiah and Christ are words of the same signification, only Messiah is an Hebrew word, and Christ a Greek word; and both of them signify the Anointed: Psal 2.2 They imagine a vain thing against the Lord, and against His Anointed. In the Hebrew it is against His Messiah ▪ ⟨p. 77⟩which in our singing Psalms is well Translated, against His Christ. The Priests and Kings of Israel, who were Anointed with Oil, were in that respect Types o• Christ; who was Anointed not with any material Oil, as they were; but with the Oil of the Spirit of God This Anointing does imply both his call unto, and fitness for his Office. Psal 45.7 The Lord thy God has Anointed thee with the Oil of Gladness, above thy Fellows. In respect of his Office, he is said to be a Shepherd: Joh. 10 11 I am (saith Christ) the good Shepherd. It belongs to a Shepherd to save his sheep from Wolves and Devourers. So Christ as the good Shepherd, has saved his Elect from the Devourers of Hell, that would have Destroyed them. In respect of his Office, he is said to be a Bishop of Souls: 1 Pet 2.25 He is the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls. A Bishop must endeavour to the uttermost of his power, the salvation of the souls of those under his care. And in respect of his Office, he is said to be a Messenger: Mal. 3.1 He is the Messenger of the Covenant. That Covenant of Grace, which speaks of salvation was made for Christs sake, is confirmed by his Death, and the salvation therein promised, is for his sake also bestowed. Again, on the account of his Office, he is said to be a Surety. He is the Surety of a better Covenant.